The present invention relates to golf putters and, more particularly, to a golf putter that has visual indicator surfaces that, when aligned, provide a means by which the golfer can properly position his or her head with respect to the club face, the ball and the green.
Putting is a difficult task at best, and sometimes almost an impossible feat. Every golfer has experienced those days when the ball just does not fall into the cup. It is at these moments that most golfers would wish to have additional help. The present invention seeks to provide a new type of putter that can assist a golfer with his putting game, and provide that added edge.
Every golfer has his favorite putter, which is used to guide the ball into the hole. Putters come in many sizes and shapes to accommodate the individual tastes and preferences of the sports enthusiast.
Golfers usually concentrate upon the break and speed of the green when putting. Their attention is focused mainly upon the trajectory or path that the ball is to travel to the cup. Some golf putters have a line or groove drawn along the center of the top of the club head, in order to provide an indicator that will align the club face with the ball, and point to the direction of the cup. Although this can be a useful visual aid, such golf club markings are often prohibited by rules of golf associations, such as the United States Golf Association (USGA).
The present invention reflects the discovery that visual indicators, comprising changes in colored surfaces, can be a substitute for a center line or groove. Fortunately, such a substitute conforms to the USGA rules, as it provides means for the player to align his head, rather than providing an aiming or aligning mechanism, per se.
The current invention consists of a putter club head having concave side surfaces. The lower portion of the club head extends slightly outwardly beyond the upper portion defining the concave arc. The concave surfaces are colored differently from the rest of the club head surfaces. For example, the concave surface can be white, and the other club head surfaces can be a dark color or black. The difference in color contrast is easily distinguishable, and appears to the golfer as line indicators, although there are no actual markings on the club head itself. A golfer standing over the top of the club head visualizes one or more pairs of thinly colored lines along each side of the club head. This is a result of the lower projecting surface. Therefore, although there is no actual marker or groove forming a line, the golfer nonetheless visualizes lines on the sides of the club head to align his head relative to the putting head, the ball, and the cup (hole) of the green.
In addition to providing a visual aid to aligning the player""s head with the club face, ball and green, the pairs of lines also provide an additional indicator benefit. Other than positioning oneself directly over the club head, little attention is ever given to whether the club is level with the green. As aforementioned, most golfers concern themselves with the club face, and whether, when addressing the ball, the ball is met perpendicularly with the face of the club head. However, as is commonly known, lifting or tilting the club head is a problem that can result in an uneven address to the ball. That is, the ball can be topped by a lifted club head at address. In accordance with the invention, the lines that project towards the eye of the golfer project an uneven width, should the level of the club head be slightly askew with respect to the surface of the green. Therefore, the width of the lines makes the player aware that the club head is or is not even with the putting green surface. In other words, the eyes of the player should be directly over the ball, as indicated by the equal width of the alignment lines. This added benefit is useful to those golfers who tend to lift the club head as they address the ball.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved golf putter having colored indicators for aligning the player""s head with his or her club head of the putter, with the ball, and with the cup of the green. The colored indicators are a result of the unique shape of the club head of the putter. The club head has concave side surfaces. The lower portion of the club head extends slightly outwardly beyond the upper portion defining the concave arc. The concave surfaces are colored differently from the rest of the club head surfaces. For example, the concave surface can be white, and the other club head surfaces can be black. The difference in color contrast is visually distinguishable, perceived by the golfer as thin line indicators, despite the fact that there are no physical markings. A golfer standing over the top of the club head sees at least one pair of thinly colored lines along each surface of the club head parallel to the putting line side. This is a result of the lower projecting surface. Although there is no actual marker or groove forming a line, the golfer nonetheless visualizes lines on the sides of the club head, and is able to use these lines to aid in aligning his or her head with the club face, the ball, and the cup of the green.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved golf putter.
It is another object of the invention to provide a golf putter having visual means by which a golfer can align his head relative to the club face of the putter, the ball, and the cup of the green.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf putter that has visual indicator markings for alignment that conform to golf association rules.